         note-gate-pairs (apply vector (map vector note-ins gate-ins))
         ]
     `(defsynth ~name
+       ~(str "a stringed instrument synth with " num-strings
+             " strings mixed and sent thru
+  distortion and reverb effects followed by a low-pass filter.  Use
+  the pluck-strings and strum-strings helper functions to play the
+  instrument. Note: the strings need to be silenced with a gate -> 0
+  transition before a gate -> 1 transition activates it.")
+
        [~@both-default-ins
         ~'dur       {:default 10.0  :min 1.0 :max 100.0}
         ~'decay     {:default 30    :min 1   :max 100} ;; pluck decay

;; ======================================================================
;; Create the guitar defsynth.  Now via the power of macros
(gen-stringed-synth guitar 6)

                           (mkarg "note" string-index) the-note
                           (mkarg "gate" string-index) 1)))))
  ([the-chord-frets the-inst string-index fret]
     (pick-string the-chord-frets the-inst string-index fret (now+))))

;; ======================================================================
(defn strum-strings
